William h



(No Model.)

W. H. LEWIS.

PHOTOGRAPHIG CAMERA. No. 386,996. Patented July 31, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT OrEicE.

\VILLIAM H. LEWIS, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO E. & H. T. ANTHONY t"COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,996, dated July 31,1888.

Application filed January 6, 1888. Serial No. 259,999. (No model.)

(ZZZ whom it may concern.- othcr point preferred. It consists in a lens,Be it known that I, VILLIAM H. LEWIS, a O, either plano-concave orhiconcave, as pre citizen of the United States. and a resident offerred, which is fastened in the camera-box Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of opposite an opening, D, made in it as usual.

Ne\vYork,have invented certain new and use- E is a mirror or otherreflecting-surface ful Improvements in Photographic Finders, placed inrear of the lens C, and set at an of which the following is aspecification. angle thereto, preferably at an angle ot forty- Myinvention relates to improvements in five degrees or thereabouts.Tlhcprecise angle, the finder, so called, of photographic carnhowever,is not material.

10 eras, said finders being used more especially F is an opening made inthe upper side of in connection with cameras designed for hr thecamera-box immediately over the mirror. stantaneous photography, usuallycalled de- It is provided with a cover, G. On the under tective cameras,and, more particularly deside of the cover I attach a mirror, I. which,scribed, the invention consists in a plano-conwhen the cover is open,will reflect the pic- 15 cave or biconcave finder-lens, as the case mayture from the main mirror, E. By this means, be, provided withdiaphragms covering por when the camera is held even so high as thetions ofits surface to limit the field thereof, eyes of the user, thefinder may be operated and a mirroror other reflecting-surface placed bylooking over the top of the camera and in rearofthelens and atananglethereto, upon governing the movement of the camera by 20 whichthe picture in miniature is received. the reflected picture seen in themirror I, and

My invention includes, also, means whereby this will be the more readilyaccomplished hethe finder maybe operated when held in an cause thepicture, which is reversed in the elevated position, and means wherebythe cenmirror IE, will be right side up in the mirror ter of the desiredpicture may be found by the I. The angle at which the cover should be 25finder,and thereby accurately produced in the during the above-statedoperation is substanresulting or final picture. tially parallel with themirror E, and, if de- In the drawings the same referenceletters sired,any suitable friction device or a catch indicate the same parts in allthe figures. may be applied to the cover to enable it to Figure 1illustrates avertical longitudinal maintain such position as may bedesired 0 view of a camera, partly in section, taken against the forceof gravity. through the center of the finder. Fig. 2 illus- I preferthat the opening D in the front of trates a front view of thefinder-lens with the the camera-box should be square in out-line todiaphragm in position. Fig. 3 illustrates a conform to that of thepicturereceiving plate section of the lens and diaphragms on the line atthe rear of the camera.

5 x 00 of Fig. 2. Fig. at illustrates in perspec- H H are diaphragms,made of metal, paper, tive and partly in section a plano concave lenscard-board, or other suitable material, which with a diaphragm on theinside thereof) Fig. are recessed or apcrtured centrally. prefer 5illustrates a diaphragm provided with the ably, but not necessarily, insquare form, and centering hair-lines. they are applied to each side ofthe lens C, so

40 A is the camera-box. It may be made in as to cover such portionthereof as may be any preferred manner, and is provided with necessaryto reduce thefield of the finder-lens the devices and instrumentalitiesneedful to to the same relative size that of the objectenable it toserve its purpose. They are well lens of the camera proper. Thesediaphragms understood by those familiar with this art, and preferablyfit close against the lens, one on 5 do not require illustration ordescription each side thereof, and one of themis provided 5 herein. withhair-lines J J, which may be made of B is the finder. It is placed inthe main fine wire, fine thread, or equivalent material. camera-box,either in an upper corner, as Theseliues are stretched across thediaphragm, shown, or on a line coincident with the lens of preferablycornerwise, although they may be 50 thecaniera,vertically orhorizontally, orat any attached to the sides of the diaphragm, and mothey are so arranged that they intersect each other at the central partof the field of the finder-lens. It is of course obvious that if theseintersecting lines are coincident with the object which it isintendedshall be the central object or figure in the picture when taken thisresult will follow, because the field of the finder-lens and that of themain plate are coincident.

As before stated, the finder-lens may be plano-concave, as shown in Fig.4, or biconcave, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and the diaphragms H may beplaced on one side only of the finder-lens, as shown in Fig. 4. If so,it should be on the inside of the lens, so that the edge of the lenswill not be reflected in the mirror, which tends to confuse the picture.I prefer, however, to apply the diaphragms to both sides of the lens,because then the limitation of the picture is more complete and thefield of the finder-lens may be made more accurately coincidentwiththatof the object-lens of the camera proper.

The lens, mirror, diaphragms, &c., may be held in place in theirrelative positions in the camera in any preferred manner. I have foundit convenient to inclose them in a little frame by themselves, as shownat I, Fig. I, which can be bodily fastened in place in the frame of thecamera-box in any preferred manner. Moreover, the said devices may beinclosed in a little box by themselves in the end and top whereof theapertures D and F, respectively, are made, and in this case the cover G,with the mirror I, if it be desired. will constitute part of this intactfinder, and it is part of my invention to make such intact finders. Theymay be sold independent of the camera, and may be used in connectionwith any photographic camera as the purchaser may desire.

Instead of the mirror I being attached to the under side of the cover G.it may be made as aseparate attachment. I prefer it attached to thecover, however, and instead of the intersecting hair-lines J beingattached to the diaphragm they may be attached to any other suitablesupport.

It will be seen that by my invention I do away with the ground-glassplate heretofore used in finders, and that I am enabled by the use ofthe secondary mirror to find the picture under circumstances which wouldbe impossible with otherfinders-as, for instance, to photograph anarrest of a prisoner over the heads of a surrounding crowd, a slightelevation, as from a door-step, being sufficient for the purpose of theoperator. Also, by the use of the diaphragm having openings of differentsizes I can make the field of the finder-lens coincide with the field ofany object-lens which may be in the camera, and that by means of theintersecting hair-lines I can accurately center the picture on the mainor picture plate.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination, with aphotographic camera, of a finder consisting of a concave lens and areflecting-surface placed behind the lens and at an angle thereto, andapertures in the camera in front ofthelens and above thereflecting-surface, the latter provided with a cover having a mirror onits under side, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a photographic camera, of a finder consistingof a concave lens, a diaphragm covering a portion of the lens having asquare aperture therein, and a reflecting-surface placed behind the lensand at an angle thereto, and apertures in the camera in front of thelens and above the reflectingsurface, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a photographic camera, ofa finder consisting ofa concave lens, diaphragnis applied over a portion of the lens, areflecting-surface placed behind the lens and at an angle thereto, andaperturesin the camera, one in front of the lens and another above thereflectingsurfaee, the latter being provided with a cover having amirror on its under side, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, in a finder for photographic cameras, of a concavelens, a mirror placed behind the lens and at an angle thereto,

and hair-lines or their equivalent to determine 5 the center of thepicture, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in a finder for photographic cameras, of a lens, adiaphragm covering portions of the lens, hair-lines or their equivalentwhich intersect at or near the center of the lens, a mirror placedbehind the lens and at an angle thereto, an aperture in the camera infront of the lens and another over the mirror, and a cover for saidlast-named aperture provided with a mirror on its under side,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. A finder for photograhic cameras, comprising a finder-box complete initself when separate from the camera, made substantially as describedand shown, and having an opening at one end and another at the top provided with a cover, a concave lens, a reflectingsurface behind the lensset at an angle thereto, and another reflecting-surface arranged on theunder side of the cover, substantially as set forth.

7. A finder for photographic cameras, comprising a finder-box completein itself when separate from the camera, made substantially as shown anddescribed, and having an opening at one end provided with a lens andanother at the top, and two reflecting-surfaces, the first arranged toreceive the image from the lens and the other to receive it from thefirst by reflection, substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 24th day of December, A. D. 1887.

\VILLIAM H. LEWIS.

Witnesses:

PHILLIPs ABBOTT, A. T. BRIGHAM.

